Composite dental resin filling instrument

ABSTRACT

A composite dental resin filling instrument comprising a forceps means provided at the distal end thereof with a dental resin receptacle with an offset dispensing tip and a plunger to force the dental resin through said tip to dental areas inaccessible with conventional dental instrumentation devices. The receptacle is disposed in one leg of the forceps and comprises a cylinder with a chamber therein for retaining dental resin and a tapered outlet integrally formed therewith. Said plunger is formed at the opposite leg of the forceps and is accommodable in said receptacle for forcing the dental resin out through the offset dispensing tip to the area of application. The receptacle together with the dispensing tip thereof is rotatable around its principal axis.

United States Patent Armour et al.

[ COMPOSITE DENTAL RESIN FILLING INSTRUMENT Primary Examiner-Robert Peshock Sept. 23, 1975 [57] ABSTRACT A composite dental resin filling instrument comprising a forceps means provided at the distal end thereof with a dental resin receptacle with an offset dispensing tip and a plunger to force the dental resin through said tip to dental areas inaccessible with conventional dental instrumentation devices. The receptacle is disposed in one leg of the forceps and comprises a cylinder with a chamber therein for retaining dental resin and a tapered outlet integrally formed therewith. Said plunger is formed at the opposite leg of the forceps and is accommodable in said receptacle for forcing the dental resin out through the offset dispensing tip to the area of application. The receptacle together with the dispensing tip thereof is rotatable around its principal axis.

10 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures COMPOSITE DENTAL RESIN FILLING INSTRUMENT This invention relates to dental resin dispensing instruments and is more particularly Concerned with an instrument of the type which is capable of dispensing dental resin to any part of the dental restoration area usually inaccessible by conventional instruments for this purpose.

Dental resin dispensing instruments have been in existence for a number of years. However, these instruments in practically all instances have been designed in the form ofa medical syringe, which comprises a barrel containing a resin and plunger to urge the resinous material through the barrel to the exterior through a narrowed down tubular spout which is inclined at an approximate angle of 45 with respect to the axis of the instrument barrel. This angular relation restricts and limits the manipulation necessary in discharging and dispensing the dental resin to cavities located at almost inaccessible regions of the gingival (gum) and tooth patterns. Accordingly, to properly attain access to these areas, the patient must be positioned at a very awkward and inconvenient attitude by widely opening the mouth and twisting the neck to an angular position necessary to dispense the resin. .This at times is very tiresome, annoying, and uncomfortable to the patient, as well as causing severe cervical pain as an after effect.

Another brand of such an instrument has a tubular receptacle with a plunger for forcing the resin material through an exit port to the teeth cavities. This instru ment has also the disadvantage of positioning the patient to the convenience of the dentist rather than positioningthe instrument to theconvenience of the patient. One other method in common use is the employment of a spatula, which is used to convey a quantity of the resin at the terminal portion of the spatula and applied to the tooth c avity by using a smearing manipulation until the cavity is filled flush with the gingiva of the jaw. It is thus seen that none of these instruments are adapted to operate for the convenience of the patient but in their use the patient's neck must be twisted or angled to an abnormal position, his mouth opened widely for access of the dentists instrument, and .the resultant restorative dental work is effective only to the extent that the patient can withstand the inconvenience of a twisted neck and thereby the discomfort and resultant neck ache; as the case may be, until 'the administration of the restorative treatment is completed.

The present invention; therefore, is designed and constructed witha novel feature to overcome these inconveniences and the shortcomings of the prior methods by permitting easy, convenient. and effective administratio'nof the restorative resin material into the tooth cavity, without inconvenience on the part of the patient, who then will be normally inclined against the back of the dental chair in a comfortable position. The patient's mouth is then opened to the extent only to insert the present dispensing instrument'which automatir the resin to become polymerized or hardened before the work is completed.

A' further object of the invention is to provide a rotatable tip integral with'said receptacle in the form of a spout and continuous therewith to transmit the dental resin to the dental cavity under treatment, at any angular attitude or to any location of the cavity region therein; said tip being capable of rotation through a span of 240 to adapt itself to the physcial location of the cavity in the mouth.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a cylindrical plunger with a flat bottom so that as the plunger moves toward the resin to urge it out of the re ceptacle there will be no voids or porosity in the'resin; this purpose is accomplished by the provision of a shoulder meansformed at the bottom of the receptacle against which shoulder the bottom of the plunger comes to rest forming a pocket-like recess therein, and wherein any air bubble formation becomes dissipated.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, simple, disposable, and easily attachable receptacle-plunger combination so that the dental restorative work can be accomplished rapidly and effectively without wasting any restorative resin material.

Other objects and advantages. of the invention will be more fully understood from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing,

' wherein like numerals refer to like parts throught the several views of the invention, and in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the composite dental resin filling instrument. i Y

FIG. 2 is a top viw of the invention with a cutoutsection adjacent the tip thereof to show the configuration of the aperture in which the resin-dispensing receptacle and the plunger are incorporated during operation thereof. I

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the resin receptacle and the plunger fitted thereinto and ready for operation.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the dispensing tip of the instrument, showing the extent of its rotation through a 240 are.

FIG. 5 is the perspective view of the resin receptacle isolated from the instrument to show its parts in perspective.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the plunger.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the resin receptacle and the plunger partially inserted thereinto.

FIG; 8 is a perspective view of a modified form of the plunger which is sustained in the forceps without the use of a screw attachment.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a portion of one leg of the forceps. showing a recess into which the supporting portion of the plunger fits snugly.

FIG. 10 is the-top view of a terminal portion of the leg of the forceps that holds the plunger by screw means.

FIG. 11 is the top view of the terminal portion of the opposite leg of the forceps that snugly retains the supporting portion of the receptacle.

Referring to the drawing, the invention as shown substantially in FIG. 1 comprises a forceps means F which can be made of steel, nickel,- aluminum, or any other material having high resiliency so that when the legs 1 and 2 are squeezed together the terminal portion 3 and 4 come together with their axial. planes parallel to each other, and when released the legs I and 2 diverge to their original positions. A dental resin receptacle 5 made of a metallic material, or a plastic material such as polyethylene or polycarbonate, having cylindrical configuration and a chamber 6 formed therein, is provided with an apertured resin-dispensing tip 7 projecting outwardly from one side thereof and is continuous therewith. A semicircular shoulder or raised section 8 is formed at the bottom section 9 of receptacle and a solid circular extension 10 of a diameter smaller than that of the receptacle 5 body section is integrally formed at the bottom side of the receptacle.

One of the legs 4 of the forceps means is provided with a slot 11 at the tip portion thereof and is adapted to accommodate the circular extension 10 of receptacle 5, with said dispensing tip 7 projecting outwardly with respect to leg 4 having the slot 11. The opposite leg 3 being provided with a recess 12 having an aperture 13 in the center thereof is adapted to accommodate the plunger 15 thereunder by means of a screw attachment 16, through the threaded bore 17 in the top of the plunger 15.

In FIG. 8, the modified plunger 15A is provided with a cylindrical extension 14 which fits snugly into the recess 12A of the terminal portion 3A, which corresponds to the terminal portion 3 of the forceps means F when leg 3 is thereby modified. In this case, no screw means is necessary to retain the cylindrical section 14, since it is made to a dimensional tolerance just to fit the recess 12A, so that it cannot become loose during operation of the instrument, since the cylindrical extension 14 can be made integrally with plunger 15A ofa plastic material, such as polyethylene or polycarbonate, to remove it from the dispensing leg 3A of forceps means F all that is necessary is to push against the body portion of plunger 15A with a sudden jerk and the plunger will come off.

All materials used for the receptacle and the plunger are preferably made of a low-cost material so as to permit the disposal of them after use. The disposability of the parts that come in contact with the mouth or the tooth cavity permits the replacement of the receptacle and the plunger by fresh, sterilized parts for different patients, rather than saving these parts for cleaning and sterilizing after use, which would be time-consuming and costly.

In operation of the device, the plunger 15 (or plunger 15A in the modified form) is attached to the corresponding mating terminal portion of the forceps means F. The receptacle 5 is filled with the dental resin and inserted by its circular extension 10 into the slot 11. After the forceps portion comprising the leg 3 and leg 4 is introduced into the mouth at the area of dental resin application, the dispensing tip 7 is rotated into any convenient direct so as to reach the point of interest, the forceps means F is squeezed gradually so as to bring the plunger 15 (or 15A) down into the receptacle 5 to force the dental resin into the dental cavity to fill it fully with excess oozing from the sides of the cavity.

The instrument then is removed and the dentist shapes the resin into the desired form in the dental cavity by the use of a probe or its equivalent.

Subsequent to the completion of the work, the receptacle may be refilled with the dental resin and the work continued on other areas by adjusting the angle of the dispensing tip 7 to adapt it to the new configuration or location of the dental cavity (of the same patient). When the work is completed, the receptacle 5 and the plunger 15 may be removed from the forceps means F and disposed of. The forceps means then can be put aside for cleaning and sterilizing before it is used on other patients.

Although a preferred embodiment of our invention has been described hereinabove, it is to be understood that there might be other ways of accomplishing the purpose achieved with the present invention, and we may incorporate such means for accomplishing the purpose during manufacture of the invention, without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A composite dental resin filling instrument, comprising: a dental instrumentation device having dual rcsilicnt manipulators disposed in divergent relation to each other, a receptacle with one end open and the other closed for containing a dental resin therein being provided with a coniform dispensing tube extending outwardly from one side'thereof in adjacent relation to the closed end, a circular extension of a reduced diameter projecting externally from the closed end of said receptacle, and one end of said resilient manipulators being provided with means adapted to accept said circular extension to removably support said receptacle at the closed end thereof; the other of said resilient manipulators being provided with means configured to the shape of said receptacle for insertion thereinto to force, upon manually converging said resilient manipulators together, the dental resin contained in said receptacle to the exterior thereof through said coniform dispensing tube in a direction along the diametrieal axis of said receptacle; said receptacle together with the coniform dispensing tube thereof being adapted at the circular extension projecting from the closed end of said receptacle to rotate for conforming to the position of the dental cavity during dispensing thereinto the dental resin from said receptacle.

2. A composite dental resin filling instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein said receptacle is a short cylinder having a base and a circular chamber therein for holding a dental restorative material therein and an arm extending laterally therefrom having therein a chamber continuous with the chamber of said short cylinder and opening to the exterior at the terminal portion thereof for discharging said dental restorative material to the exterior in a laterial relation to said receptacle. l

3. A composite dental resin filling instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein said receptacle at the closed end thereof has a semicircular shoulder formed ,integrally on the interior bottom section thereof to provide a recess therein for dissipating, into said recess, bubbles and voids that may be formed in the dental resin material containcd in said receptacle during dispensing of said dental resin material from said receptacle.

4. A composite dental resin filling instrument as defined in claim I, wherein said receptacle has a cylindrical chamber therein and a coniform extension projecting laterally therefrom, said extension having a coniform chamber therein continuous with the chamber of said receptacle and further having at the terminal portion thereof a tip with an aperture therein for dispensing thcrethrough the contents of said receptacle.

5. A composite dental resin filling instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein said means configured to the shape of said receptacle is a short plunger adapted to be accommodated in said receptacle and movable therein to the closed end thereof to eject the contents of said receptacle through the coniform dispensing tube thereof to the exterior of said receptacle during the operation of said composite dental resin filling instrument.

6. A composite dental resin filling instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein said dental instrumentation device with divergent manipulators is provided at the terminal portion of one of said manipulators with a circular short plunger and at the other manipulator the device is provided with a closed-bottomcircular receptacle for containing a dental resin therein and adapted to accommodate said plunger when manually urged thereinto; said circular receptacle having a raised section on the bottom portion thereof, with said plunger adapted to rest on said raised portion, forming a cavity between the plunger and a portion of the bottom section for collecting therein bubbles from said dental resin during dispensing thereof from said circular receptacle.

7. A composite dental resin filling instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein said dental instrumentation device comprises a forceps means having divergent legs, one of said legs being provided with a compression means and the other with means to hold a batch of dental resin and adapted to negotiate with said compression means for expulsion of the dental resin therefrom, said means to hold a batch of dental resin having a side tube for directing the expulsion of said dental resin in a perpendicular relation to the direction of movement of said compression means with respect to said means for holding a batch of dental resin; said side tube together with said means holding a batch of dental resin being adapted to rotate with respect to said compression means and angularly thereto for dispensing the batch of dental resin during resin-filling performance of said dental instrumentation device.

8. A composite dental resin filling instrument as defined in claim 6, wherein said closed-bottom circular receptacle being provided with a dental resindispensing means projecting in perpendicular relation thereto and to said plunger; said dental resin-dispensing means together with said closed-bottom circular receptacle being adapted to rotate around said plunger through an arc of up to 240 in the conformance of said dental resin-dispensing means to the position of a dental cavity during dispensing the dental resin thereinto from said closed-bottom circular receptacle.

9. A composite dental resin filling instrument as defined in claim 7 ,wherein said forceps means having divergent legs being provided at one leg thereof with a removable cup having a hollow cone projecting from one side thereof, said cone having a tip with an aperture therein communicating with the chamber of said cup, and at the opposite leg said forceps means being provided with a short cylinder adapted to be accommodated in said cup and movable to the bottom of said cup, upon squeezing said forceps means, to expel a dental resin retained therein.

10. A composite dental resin filling instrument, comprising: A dental instrumentation forceps having two legs, one of said legs being provided with a first means having a spout projecting laterally thereto, said first means being adapted to hold a batch of dental restorative material therein, a second means provided on the opposite leg and adapted to negotiate with said first means to force the contents thereof through said spout projecting laterally thereto for dispensing said dental restorative material into a dental cavity through said spout, which together with said first means being adapted to rotate with respect to said second means through an arc of 240 between said two legs. 

1. A composite dental resin filling instrument, comprising: a dental instrumentation device having dual resilient manipulators disposed in divergent relation to each other, a receptacle with one end open and the other closed for containing a dental resin therein being provided with a coniform dispensing tube extending outwardly from one side thereof in adjacent relation to the closed end, a circular extension of a reduced diameter projecting externally from the closed end of said receptacle, and one end of said resilient manipulators being provided with means adapted to accept said circular extension to removably support said receptacle at the closed end thereof; the other of said resilient manipulators being provided with means configured to the shape of said receptacle for insertion thereinto to force, upon manually converging said resilient manipulators together, the dental resin contained in said receptacle to the exterior thereof through said coniform dispensing tube in a direction along the diametrical axis of said receptacle; said receptacle together with the coniform dispensing tube thereof being adapted at the circular extension projecting from the closed end of said receptacle to rotate for conforming to the position of the dental cavity during dispensing thereinto the dental resin from said receptacle.
 2. A composite dental resin filling instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein said receptacle is a short cylinder having a base and a circular chamber therein for holding a dental restorative material therein and an arm extending laterally therefrom having therein a chamber continuous with the chamber of said short cylinder and opening to the exterior at the terminal portion thereof for discharging said dental restorative material to the exterior in a laterial relation to said receptacle.
 3. A composite dental resin filling instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein said receptacle at the closed end thereof has a semicircular shoulder formed integrally on the interior bottom section thereof to provide a recess therein for dissipating, into said recess, bubbles and voids that may be formed in the dental resin material contained in said receptacle during dispensing of said dental resin material from said receptacle.
 4. A composite dental resin filling instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein said receptacle has a cylindrical chamber therein and a coniform extension projecting laterally therefrom, said extension having a coniform chamber therein continuous with the chamber of said receptacle and further having at the terminal portion thereof a tip with an aperture therein for dispensing therethrough the contents of said receptacle.
 5. A composite dental resin filling instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein said means configured to the shape of said receptacle is a short plunger adapted to be accommodated in said receptacle and movable therein to the closed end thereof to eject the contents of said receptacle through the coniform dispensing tube thereof to the exterior of said receptacle during the operation of said composite dental resin filling instrument.
 6. A composite dental resin filling instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein said dental instrumentation device with divergent manipulators is provided at the terminal portion of one of said manipulators with a circular short plunger and at the other manipulator the device is provided with a closed-bottom circular receptacle for containing a dental resin therein and adapted to accommodate said plunger when manually urged thereinto; said circular receptacle having a raised section on the bottom portion thereof, with said plunger adapted to rest on said raised portion, forming a cavity between the plunger and a portion of the bottom section for collecting therein bubbles from said dental resin during dispensing thereof from said circular receptacle.
 7. A composite dental resin filling instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein said dental instrumentation device comprises a forceps means having dIvergent legs, one of said legs being provided with a compression means and the other with means to hold a batch of dental resin and adapted to negotiate with said compression means for expulsion of the dental resin therefrom, said means to hold a batch of dental resin having a side tube for directing the expulsion of said dental resin in a perpendicular relation to the direction of movement of said compression means with respect to said means for holding a batch of dental resin; said side tube together with said means holding a batch of dental resin being adapted to rotate with respect to said compression means and angularly thereto for dispensing the batch of dental resin during resin-filling performance of said dental instrumentation device.
 8. A composite dental resin filling instrument as defined in claim 6, wherein said closed-bottom circular receptacle being provided with a dental resin-dispensing means projecting in perpendicular relation thereto and to said plunger; said dental resin-dispensing means together with said closed-bottom circular receptacle being adapted to rotate around said plunger through an arc of up to 240* in the conformance of said dental resin-dispensing means to the position of a dental cavity during dispensing the dental resin thereinto from said closed-bottom circular receptacle.
 9. A composite dental resin filling instrument as defined in claim 7, wherein said forceps means having divergent legs being provided at one leg thereof with a removable cup having a hollow cone projecting from one side thereof, said cone having a tip with an aperture therein communicating with the chamber of said cup, and at the opposite leg said forceps means being provided with a short cylinder adapted to be accommodated in said cup and movable to the bottom of said cup, upon squeezing said forceps means, to expel a dental resin retained therein.
 10. A composite dental resin filling instrument, comprising: A dental instrumentation forceps having two legs, one of said legs being provided with a first means having a spout projecting laterally thereto, said first means being adapted to hold a batch of dental restorative material therein, a second means provided on the opposite leg and adapted to negotiate with said first means to force the contents thereof through said spout projecting laterally thereto for dispensing said dental restorative material into a dental cavity through said spout, which together with said first means being adapted to rotate with respect to said second means through an arc of 240* between said two legs. 